Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Illustrator Collage: Campaign for Play
Based on the article featured on MSNBC, Experts: Lack of play time is hurting children, Associated Press copyright 2009, I've made a "campaign for play" poster. That's me in the background, discussing something "serious" missing out on Elanor chucking the hay everywhere!
I like this image, because it's good message for these days. The best things in life are still free.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Peeks Traced and Filled In
A sketch of Peeks.
A tracing of Peeks.
Peeks filled in.
I picked Peeks because he was fun to work with -- lots of obvious shapes and crazy colors to begin, and clean lines, fun lines to trace. I had some difficulty with his hair on the right side, and far left -- it colors black when I tried to apply the gradation.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Logos - Visual and Words
THE AFTER
I went back home and applied new ideas from class to creating logos. In each of these I tried to reflect a playful creativity in coming to learn at Souderton Charter School Collaborative, my daughter's school. Here's what I came up with:
The Weave & Butterfly; this is my favorite.
The Butterfly
The Mapleleaf
The Tree
THE BEFORE
For my picture logo, I focused on creating an image for my daughter's school, Souderton Charter School Collaborative (SCSC). As you might guess from the name, one of SCSC's primary goals is to be a community that creatively collaborates. This matches with the abstract meanings I've been drawing out of my Doodad project -- encouraging children to run with their imaginations, to get into the story -- where play is real learning -- confined in safe and appropriate spaces.
The idea, I liked, but flushing it out was a challenge. I started with the image of a woven cloth, then moved to an image where you can't see the seams of the cloth. Then, I added an image of one of the school's front windows, and played around with how to use the cloth there. The last two logos are examples of this.
Why these are in process -- I actually like the concept behind these, but the images don't grab me -- despite the time it took to fill in the colors and weaving patterns!
Woven cloth, with seems and colors I like.
Woven cloth, no seams with school colors.
Window into the world, through a woven cloth. The window frame designates boundaries.
Window into the world, weaving extending it's boundaries.
I went back home and applied new ideas from class to creating logos. In each of these I tried to reflect a playful creativity in coming to learn at Souderton Charter School Collaborative, my daughter's school. Here's what I came up with:
The Weave & Butterfly; this is my favorite.
The Butterfly
The Mapleleaf
The Tree
THE BEFORE
For my picture logo, I focused on creating an image for my daughter's school, Souderton Charter School Collaborative (SCSC). As you might guess from the name, one of SCSC's primary goals is to be a community that creatively collaborates. This matches with the abstract meanings I've been drawing out of my Doodad project -- encouraging children to run with their imaginations, to get into the story -- where play is real learning -- confined in safe and appropriate spaces.
The idea, I liked, but flushing it out was a challenge. I started with the image of a woven cloth, then moved to an image where you can't see the seams of the cloth. Then, I added an image of one of the school's front windows, and played around with how to use the cloth there. The last two logos are examples of this.
Why these are in process -- I actually like the concept behind these, but the images don't grab me -- despite the time it took to fill in the colors and weaving patterns!
Woven cloth, with seems and colors I like.
Woven cloth, no seams with school colors.
Window into the world, through a woven cloth. The window frame designates boundaries.
Window into the world, weaving extending it's boundaries.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Doodad Collage
Entering Wonderland.
I chose to arrange the collage to show play as my two daughters, Elanor and Claire, see it. Their imaginations are incredible. When they play, they become part of their toys' world. That world is real. To illustrate this world, I picked Alice and the cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. This photo is courtesy of Lenny's Alice and Wonderland Site and is illustrated by John Tenniel. I chose this not just for Lewis Carroll's depiction of Wonderland, but also for how books frame and outline their play. It's magical to listen to. As a backdrop I used a flower pot to suggest that our creativity flourishes within boundaries, within limits. Order and creativity must mingle. If you have only order, there can't be freedom for creativity. If you have only creativity, you cannot make use of it or see it. They both need each other.
The fairy.
A container.
Elanor
Peeks, a doodad.
The umbrella, a doodad.
Claire, on the left.
This photo is courtesy of Lenny's Alice and Wonderland Site. Illustrated by John Tenniel.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
6 Images of Doodads: on their own terms
This is how Peeks lives, in his box.
Peeks' hand.
How Peeks got his name. Likely from China.
Under the doll umbrella, looking up.
The top of the umbrella, looking down.
The umbrella collapsed.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
My Subject: Doodads
Doodads fill my life: I trip over them; I search for them; I rescue them from the toilet; I clean them up several times a day; I wash them; once in a while I use them to entertain.
I call these toys doodads, because mostly they are not significant to me. But they matter to my daughters. And because they matter, these objects punctuate the events in my typical day. "Where is my wub?" "Open the umbrella." "Put on Polly's dress!"
For this project, instead of showing doodads interrupt my events as they typically do, I incorporated them into the actual event as participants. And in doing so, I discovered latent irony. For instance, it is funny to me that the Polly pocket, a toymaker's playful, sellable interpretation of womanhood, would be under my feet as I'm cleaning up dinner. Where is my fairy godmother when I need her the most? Another irony, Peeks the clown on the way to the bus stop: I am never laughing on the way to bus stop but hollering "Chop! Chop!" Would we get there faster if I laughed our way there? Most likely.
Lastly, I am struck by the beauty of these familiar objects. My favorite shot is the under "Event 2: Making pigtails in Claire's hair." This is the place where I do this. In the picture, I like the way the textures and patterns of the crocheted umbrella play with the eyelet curtain. That beauty mingles so unabashedly with the ordinary compels me to treasure more the seemingly mundane. I'm not sure there is anything mundane about raising three daughters. There certainly isn't when it comes to combing hair. Some of my most important conversations with Claire happen here. Her curious observations, insightful questions play with my questions and sometimes wisdom.
I call these toys doodads, because mostly they are not significant to me. But they matter to my daughters. And because they matter, these objects punctuate the events in my typical day. "Where is my wub?" "Open the umbrella." "Put on Polly's dress!"
For this project, instead of showing doodads interrupt my events as they typically do, I incorporated them into the actual event as participants. And in doing so, I discovered latent irony. For instance, it is funny to me that the Polly pocket, a toymaker's playful, sellable interpretation of womanhood, would be under my feet as I'm cleaning up dinner. Where is my fairy godmother when I need her the most? Another irony, Peeks the clown on the way to the bus stop: I am never laughing on the way to bus stop but hollering "Chop! Chop!" Would we get there faster if I laughed our way there? Most likely.
Lastly, I am struck by the beauty of these familiar objects. My favorite shot is the under "Event 2: Making pigtails in Claire's hair." This is the place where I do this. In the picture, I like the way the textures and patterns of the crocheted umbrella play with the eyelet curtain. That beauty mingles so unabashedly with the ordinary compels me to treasure more the seemingly mundane. I'm not sure there is anything mundane about raising three daughters. There certainly isn't when it comes to combing hair. Some of my most important conversations with Claire happen here. Her curious observations, insightful questions play with my questions and sometimes wisdom.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Ten Events
1. Waking up and feeding Baby Margaret.
2. Making pigtails in Claire's hair.
3. Running to the bus stop.
4. Laundry.
5. Finding Elanor's wub before her nap.
6. Working.
7. Helping Claire practice piano.
8. Making dinner while tripping over matchbox cars.
9. Cleaning up dinner.
10. Climbing into the shower.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Why I'm taking this class
I'm taking Digital Tools as the first class in the Digital Media Certificate Program. I enrolled because I want to gain skills in print and web design. I'm particularly interested in web design -- it's like building 3d with words -- words are like legos; I love it. But my learning curve is steep. I have a lot to learn about artistically designing images!
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